State Road Owners Cleared to Purchase Saltwater Restaurant

The Tisbury planning board finished deliberations for two special permits and signed off on both during Wednesday evening’s meeting, clearing the way for a change of ownership at Saltwater in Vineyard Haven.

Jackson and Mary Kenworth, owners of State Road Restaurant, have entered into an agreement with Saltwater owner Reid (Sam) Dunn to purchase the restaurant. The sale is expected to close on Nov. 4, said Tisbury Marketplace Condominium Associate chairman Douglas Reece, who is also an associate member of the planning board.

The special permits were formally approved three weeks ago during a board meeting. The first, requested by Mr. Dunn, increases seating capacity at the restaurant to 82 seats. The Kenworths in turn received a permit to operate a restaurant at the site.

The approval and signing of the two permits came only after a lengthy hearing process in which the board attempted to remedy an earlier issue relating to seating capacity. When Mr. Dunn first purchased the Saltwater building in 2008, it had a seating capacity of 44. Because the building is connected to a town sewer, an increase in seating capacity was allowed. Although Mr. Dunn received prior permission to operate with more seats from several other bodies, including Tisbury’s sewer advisory board, the board of health, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and a site plan review board, the original planning board permit remained unchanged.

Planning board chairman Dan Seidman said the error did not surface until the process of the sale began, and the attorney representing Mr. and Mrs. Kenworth noticed the seating discrepancy.

“Everyone else basically granted his increase in seats, so by the time it came back to us it was kind of a moot point,” Mr. Seidman said during Tuesday’s meeting. “Nobody’s permit overrides our original permit, so that was sort of the discrepancy.”

The Kenworths first applied for their special permit in August. The permit allows for the operation of a year-round food service establishment. According to the submitted proposal, the building will contain both a restaurant and a coffee bar, with the former being open only for dinner service between April and October. The coffee bar will feature prepared foods and will be open year round, with reduced hours in the off-season.